Blotting appliance



Jan. 30, 1923.

A. C. BROWN.

BLQTT-NG APPLIANCE Fnuzo JUNE 10, 1922.

1720611507: 55 BRUWA ALFRED 5w] Patented Jan. 30, 1923.

'* ire ALFRED CHARLES BROWN, OE LEWISHAIVI, LONDON, ENGLAND.

BLOTTING APPLIANCE.

Application filed June 10, 1922. Serial No. 567,453.

To all whom it 'n'z-cg concern:

Be it known that I, ALFRED CHARLES BROWN, British subject, residing at Claren-, don House, (irranville Park, Le-wisham, S. E. 13, n the county of London, England, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Blotting Appliances (for which I have filed application in England May 9, 1921), of which the following is a specification.

The essential feature of this invention consists in forming a backing for blotting paper or other absorbent material to be used for drying ink-nu'iting, affixing postage stamps and like purposes, of a pneumatic cushion, or flexible chamber or chambers composed of hollow india-rubber or similar material filled with air or other fluid.

The fluid-filled chamber or chambers may be strengthened or covered with a soft flexible but nearly inextensible fabric, such as silk, cotton or the like, which may be stitched or closed at its joint-s so as to form a complete bag enclosing the fluid-chamber.

The said iiuid filled cushions covered wholly or partially with absorbent material is used with the addition of a rigid or semirigid backing, frame or holder.

I append a description of a typical form of construction, which show-s the general methods of working, but such form of construction may evidently be varied within the scope ofthis invention.

Similar numerals refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

Figs. 1 and are respectively side and end elevations while Fig. 3 is a section on line of Fig. 1 of a construction of the appliance in which a piece of rigid material or backing-piece a, of wood or other suit able substance, is placed between two fluidfilled cushions 1 and 2, which are attached to the backing-piece preferably by the fabric band 6, which encircles both cushions and the two edges of the backing-piece. The whole is then surrounded with a tube of blotting paper or other absorbent substance, which may be manufactured from the pulp in the form of a tube, or may be made and fixed in other suitable manner.

Valves or tubes for inflation may be attached to any of the fluid chambers, but since they can be inflated in the manufac ture with th low pressure which is all that is required, and solast indefinitely. The fluid pressure being increased in operation by the pressure of the appliance on to'a surface, I do not find any such valves or tubes necessary.

It will be seen that with the above or 1 similar forms of construction the effect of pressure applied through the fluid filled cushions to the blotting paper or other absorbent substance, is to cause the surface of this to conform instantaneously and exactly to the surface to be dried, (a single rapid application dries ink perfectly over a large surface), even if that surface is irregular or the pressure-hurriedly or obliquely applied, so that the appliance is very quick and effective in action, saves much time and avoids smearing.

I claim,

In a blotting appliance, the combination of a support, an air sack and an enclosing textile fabric held on said support, and a blotting sheet in the form of a tube sup ported upon and enclosing the outer surface of said textile fabric, whereby different surfaces of the'blot-ting sheet may be selectively used.

Dated this 22nd day of April 1922.

ALFRED CHARLES BROWN. 

